All careersHealthcare

Cardiovascular Technologist

$74,310
median / year
$39,000 – $121,350
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Run tests and imaging of the heart and blood vessels, and assist during catheterization procedures.

You may also see this posted as: Cardio Tech (Cardiovascular Technician), Cardiology Technician, Cardiovascular Technologist (CVT), Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS), Cardiac Cath Lab Technologist (Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Technologist), Cardiac Catheterization Technician.

Where you work

Hospitals, cardiology clinics, and cath labs.

The hours

Full-time, with on-call and some weekends

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Conduct electrocardiogram (EKG), phonocardiogram, echocardiogram, stress testing, or other cardiovascular tests to record patients' cardiac activity, using specialized electronic test equipment, recording devices, or laboratory instruments.
  • Explain testing procedures to patients to obtain cooperation and reduce anxiety.
  • Monitor patients' blood pressure and heart rate using electrocardiogram (EKG) equipment during diagnostic or therapeutic procedures to notify the physician if something appears wrong.
  • Obtain and record patient identification, medical history, or test results.
  • Monitor patients' comfort and safety during tests, alerting physicians to abnormalities or changes in patient responses.

Good fit if you like…

Realistic

working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

O*NET job zone 3 of 5

Medium preparation—often vocational training, an associate degree, or substantial experience—is usually needed.

Work styles that matter most

Attention to DetailDependabilityCooperationCautiousness

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

JavaScriptMEDITECH softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Word

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$74,310
per year
Hourly median
$35.73
per hour
What most earn
$39,000–$121,350
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~3,800
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+3%
About average
Working in the U.S.
62,960
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 3.7% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Associate degree

Training path: Associate degree + certification.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

Employers usually expect certification from ARDMS or CCI, and licensing rules vary by state.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Cardiac imagingPatient monitoringProcedure assistanceEquipment handling

The honest take

A steady hospital role that puts you close to heart procedures without a four-year degree.

Standard Occupational Classification 29-2031. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.